Death Takes A Vacation
by Darke Zombie
Summary: What happens when death takes a vacation from his job? What will the other gods think, what happens to Tartarus? Well you'll just have to read to find out. One-shot.


Disclaimer: I do not own the myth about Hades or anything to do with Hades, this is just a work of fiction that I created.

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How does this story start you may ask? Well like any good story does with a hero, and our hero's name is Dave. Now where is Dave? "Dave's dead." Yelled a man appearing from nowhere WHAT! How did he die? "he got killed doing something stupid." The man replied. Umm, what was he doing? The man glared at the narrator "I SAID HE DIED DOING SOMETHING STUPID!" Okay okay, who else do we have? The man pulled out a list from nowhere, after a moment. "Hades the god of the dead." Really no one else, no one? He glanced at the narrator "That's it. You'll just have to make a story for him so get to work." Well damn.

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So our story starts with the Greek god of the dead Hades. Where do we find such a being? Well first we need to enter deep into the belly of the earth, and cross through the gates of Tartarus guarded by Cerberus. Then through great plains of suffering from the souls of the damned, and the plains of Elysium ruled by the great and terrible Cronos. Until finally we reach the mighty palace of Hades a great and terrible sight in the eyes of mortals and gods alike. This is where we find Hades sitting on his throne, and contemplating his life or what is considered a life because he is dead. The light in the rooms is dim but it sets off a feeling of uneasy to any mortal and even some gods. The room is large but empty all except for the throne itself which is against the back wall of the chamber. It is made of obsidian, black glass. It seems to absorb the light around it making the room darker the closer to the throne you get.

"What to do, what to do. I mean Persephone left three days ago and now I'm all alone again." Hades rose from his throne and started to pace back and forth through the throne room. "There's nothing to do anymore. The last soul that showed up in Tartarus was over two thousand years ago…. I wonder who's fault that was." COUGH Zeus COUGH. Excuse me back to the story. "I don't even know what the other gods are doing anymore, the only ones who talk to me are Persephone and Hermes. No one even told me why the souls have stopped coming to Tartarus. I could just leave for a time. I'm sure both Minos and Rhadamanthus can watch over Tartarus while I'm gone, and it's not like I really care I mean Zeus tricked me into ruling this fungus infested hole." With that thought, Hades turned and left the throne room, heading towards the surface to see what had changed in the world above, unknowingly putting into motion events that would change his life for the better.

Hades departure didn't go unnoticed by the residents of Tartarus. Well when you consider the fact that Hades was in his true form which is a black mass of darkness, it is kind of hard to miss it flying towards the exit of Tartarus. As the denizens of Tartarus watched the master of the realm leave they whispered to each other about why he was leaving and when he would return. The last time Hades had left the Tartarus was centuries ago, and even then he had told a few of his followers and subordinates where he was going. That will cause many problems in the future.

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Hades flew out of the gate Tartarus into a clear cool spring night above the ocean. Hades cast his gaze to the horizon and saw lights of a nearby city. "What's that? It can't be dawn. She can't be rising now can she? She should still be resting for another couple hours." His curiosity now piqued, he flew towards the city. He reached the city in good time and hid in his true form and watched the people wander the streets and go about their normal lives. "What happened? so much has changed since the last time I was around mortals. I need to see what has changed." Hades spends the next nine months learning what had happened in his absence from the mortal world. He learned that he was currently in the United States of America and in the city of Miami. He also learned that the mortals no longer believed in him or the other Greek gods. They had new gods, better gods, gods who wouldn't torment them for petty reasons like thinking one is more beautiful than the others.

After the nine months, Hades had learned much and enjoyed himself immensely amongst the mortals, so much that he had forgotten about Tartarus and even if he had remembered he wouldn't have cared much. The only problem is in the last nine months Tartarus has gone down the drain. When the denizens of Tartarus realized that Hades wasn't going to return, they revolted against their tormenters and generally caused chaos. That's important because it was time for Persephone to return home to Hades. What she expected to find when she returned was her husband Hades waiting for her. What she got was Kingdome in chaos with no one in control.

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Persephone stood at the entrance of Tartarus and saw the chaos that the underworld was in. "What's happened since I was gone? Hades would never have allowed for this to happen unless something happened I need to find him." Persephone teleported to the palace. Upon arriving she looked around and saw that it was in complete disarray with spirits floating around and moaning about their horrible afterlife. "What happened to my home?" Persephone said in a voice laden with sadness and tears, as she gazed at her once furnished palace now in ruin. By chance Minos was running through the halls and saw Persephone. When he saw her he rushed to her side. "Queen Persephone, thank the gods you're here do you know where Lord Hades is?" Persephone tore her tear filled gaze from her palace and looked at Minos. "What happened to my house?" Minos gave Persephone a pleading look. "Queen Persephone, Hades is missing and every soul knows it and they want out know. They ransacked the palace and are trying to escape from Tartarus. We need Hades to come back, SO PLEASE tell me you know where he is." All Persephone could do was gave Minos a helpless look. "The last time I saw Hades was when I left. I know. I'll go ask my father where Hades is." A thoughtful look crossed Minos' face. "Good idea you go and ask Zeus if he knows where Lord Hades is and I'll try to keep things under control while you find Lord Hades."

Now with a plan in mind, Persephone left Tartarus and traveled to Mount Olympus to seek her father in hopes of finding where her husband Hades had disappeared too. Meanwhile, in Miami Hades was having a small fight with his brother Poseidon. The reason why is actually an interesting coincidence. Hades had been enjoying his day in Miami when he had decided to travel along the coast and just enjoy the nice weather when by chance he ran into his brother Poseidon who was in a mortal form which you would think was a six-foot muscular man with the body of, well a god. However, the past few centuries hadn't been kind to the god of the sea, and it showed in his mortal form. He may be six feet tall but he stops and his skin may once have been bronzed and golden, but was now pale and sickly. His hair is a mess with tangles and little pieces of trash in them. Hades, on the other hand, had reinvented his mortal form, and he stood at six foot four. His skin tone is pale, almost ivory in color, in contrast to his jet black hair ear length and slicked back.

That is one of the reasons why Poseidon didn't immediately notice who Hades was. The second reason why is that Poseidon has been weakened by the pollution of the oceans over the last few decades. Hades just wants to enjoy the view and moment of peace that comes from being alone and in such a wonderful place. Poseidon wanted the same thing so when they met they just wanted to be left alone, and Poseidon, because he was the god of the ocean wanted Hades to leave so he tried to make him leave the beach by threatening him. Hades threatened to destroy Poseidon, and then they both attacked each other Hades with his shadows and Poseidon with his water. That was when they realized who they were attacking.

Poseidon backed up after he blocked the onrushing shadows with the ocean. "Hades what Tartarus are you doing here, you should be in Tartarus and not up here, explain yourself." Hades stood back in a relaxed pose. "Oh you know just wanted to see the sights and explore. I haven't been to the surface for a couple of centuries and so much has changed. It's not like I can ask one of the other gods what has been happening over the last few centuries, NONE OF YOU TALK TO ME AFTER YOU PUT ME INTO THAT GODS FORSAKEN PIT YOU CALL TARTARUS. The only one who does talk to me is Persephone and Hermes. Persephone doesn't really tell me anything about the mortals and Hermes just wants to go and do his own thing." Poseidon shook his head and grit his teeth. "Well, you can't stay you have to go back to Tartarus NOW. If you don't then I'll just have to make you." While sending a wall of water rushing towards Hades, he yelled "GET BACK TO TARTARUS."

Hades looked at the water with disdain. "Is that the best you can do brother because if it is then MY HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN!" Hades drew shadows around himself as the wall of water collided with him. Poseidon watched as the water receded to reveal Hades draped in shadows and unharmed. Yelling in rage at Hades shrugging off his attack, Poseidon reached towards the ocean calling his trident from its depths into his hand. Hades watched with a sneer as Poseidon called his trident into his hands. "What's wrong brother can't beat me without your trident?" The trident flew from the ocean into Poseidon's hand and he pointed it at Hades. "Enough of your talk brother I WILL send you back to Tartarus with my own hands." Hades shook his head with laughter and a genuine smile. "And what makes you think that you can send me back to Tartarus if I don't want to go. You may have tricked me into becoming the ruler of Tartarus, but no more, I will never be forced into doing something I DON'T WANT TO DO!" Poseidon raised the trident and infused it with all his power as he hurled it at Hades. Hades watched as Poseidon hurled the trident at him, and as the trident neared Hades, he used his power pulling a shadow in front of the trident and transported it to shadows behind Poseidon lunching It into his back causing a flash of blinding light. The light receded showing Poseidon laying on the ground with the trident beside him. Hades approached Poseidon's prone form, "Look at yourself Poseidon, you used to be able to stop a simple trick like that with ease. Now, you didn't even see it coming, how the mighty have fallen….. I've seen what this new world is like, and I have to say I like it. So I'm going to stay here, and you or any god can't make me go back to the Tartarus unless I want to." Hades leaned down and picked up Poseidon and looked him in the eye. "Back to the ocean you go DEAR brother." Poseidon weakly grabbed at Hades' arm, "Zeus will make you return to Tartarus whether you want to go or not I promise you that brother, and there's nowhere you can hide from Zeus." Hades smiled at his answer. "Oh who said I was hiding I'm going to pay our little brother a visit as soon as I'm done here. You taught me something important today Poseidon and I have to thank you for that." With that Hades threw Poseidon into the ocean and went back to enjoying the view before turning into his true form and heading for Olympus.

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During Hades' little battle with Poseidon, Persephone had made it to Olympus and was in the courtroom talking with her father Zeus. who is getting angrier and angrier as he listened to Persephone explain what has happened to Tartarus and how Hades is nowhere to be found. "What do you mean he isn't in Tartarus, where else could he be?" All Persephone could do was shrug helplessly at her father. "I don't know father that's why I came, to see if you know where he is." Before Zeus could answer her question, the room darkened and the shadows condensed into the form of Hades. "I'm right here Persephone. I've just been on a bit of a vacation from Tartarus for the last couple of months. I felt it was prudent to reacquaint myself with the world of the mortals and find out why they're souls have stopped traveling to Tart- ""YOU DARE TO LET TARTARUS DESCEND INTO CHOAS IT IS YOUR DOMAIN AND YOU WOULD DARE TO SHOW YOUR FACE HERE!"

Hades glanced at Zeus before turning back to Persephone, "I'll talk to you in just a minute sweetheart." Hades looked back at Zeus with a frown, "Of course I would dear brother after all isn't rightly so that I am able to go where I please? Didn't I also help in the war with the titans? Don't I have a right to go where I please?" The room darkened as Zeus heard each question and lightning flashed. "You have your own realm to care for Hades and you will do good to remember who is king here." With those words the shadows came alive with movement. "King? HA, king of what? The gods are all but forgotten by the mortals and without their belief, all the Greek gods have dispersed. I would even dare say most wouldn't even come to your aid if you called them. Also, my realm is only my realm because you and Poseidon tricked me into taking it. I have decided that we need to have a talk, Zeus, about my arrangement." The room flashed with lighting at what Hades said. Persephone watched the conversation with some interest near the back of the room.

Zeus shook in uncontrolled rage at the audacity of Hades trying to negotiate with the king of gods. "You think I will agree with anything you say? I will sooner lock you away for your insolence then agree with whatever you ask for." Hades just smiled. "Oh I don't know about that, what do you think Hera would say if she found out about who the Japanese got the idea for all their fetishes and why there is a small cult that still worships you in Japan?" Zeus froze at the questions, Persephone glanced in between Hades and Zeus. "Father, what does Hades mean? I thought the humans stopped believing in us a long time ago?" Zeus' head snapped towards Persephone. "Uh they don't. Hades is just confused. Now why don't you uh go find your mother?" Persephone continued to look between Zeus and Hades. "What is father trying to hide, Hades?" Hades just kept smiling. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I'll tell you later." Persephone glanced at Hades and Zeus one last time before leaving to find her mother Demeter.

Hades watched Persephone leave. As soon as she left the room he turned back to Zeus. "Now where were we, ah yes we were just about to come to a new agreement weren't we dear brother." Zeus let out an exhausted sigh. "Alright what do you want Hades?" Hades walked towards Zeus and stopped in front of him. "Oh you know some freedom from Tartarus, freedom to do what I want when I want." Zeus shook his head. "You can't just stop being the lord of Tartarus." Hades stopped smiling and drew the shadows around himself. "That's not what I said. I SAID I WANT SOME FREEDOM. I want to be able to spend time with Persephone here in Olympus and I want time for myself out in the world with the mortals. If I get those things, then I'll go back, and bring order to Tartarus. Do we have a deal, Zeus?" Zeus sat there deep in thought. "If I do this then I'll piss of Demeter. If I don't then I'll piss of Hera. Which one am I willing to live with?" Zeus looked at Hades before answering, "alright Hades we have a deal, now get out of my halls." Hades gave Zeus a deep bow "of course my king take care." Hades stood up straight and turned to leave before he left he stopped. "Oh and take care Demeter I'm sure you and Zeus have a lot to talk about." After saying that, Demeter entered through the door with a look of barely checked rage.

Hades left Olympus and headed back to Tartarus where he would resume command. With the new deal between Zeus and Hades, Hades would now be able to explore the world and spend more time with the goddess he loves Persephone. Of course, Poseidon is still pissed about being beaten by Hades and is searching for a way to get back at him. Zeus had a long argument with Demeter which ended in Demeter telling Hera about Japan and Zeus is still being tormented by both Demeter and Hera to this day. Now all joking aside, the moral of the story here is that no matter what, you need to be able to stand up for yourself. Don't be a pushover. Stand proud. Stand tall because if you are forced into a situation like Hades you have to grow a spine so that you can stand up for yourself and try to make it better for yourself. Because if you don't, people will take advantage of you, and they won't stop until you do, so stand up for yourself.


End file.
